Sales of pork, masks, purifiers up

/ Korea Times file

By Rachel Lee

The consumption of “samgyeopsal” or pork belly has soared amid the latest arrival of yellow dust from China. Some Koreans believe the grease in the pork removes pollutants from the body carried in the dust.

According to supermarket chain Lotte Mart, sales of the pork increased 35 percent over the past week from the same period last year.

Sales of facial cleanser have doubled, and those of hand sanitizer and mouthwash have also increased by about 10 percent.

Air purifiers and dusk masks have been selling strongly, with a 607 and 900 percent rise in sales, according to online retailer Gmarket. Scarves and drink tumblers have also been popular with sales figures doubling, the company said.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government issued the first yellow dust warning of the year in the metropolitan area on Sunday. Dust particle concentration in Seoul was measured at 1,044 micrograms per cubic meter on Monday.